Asian investors have shelled out approximately AED 9 billion in real estate investments into the UAE from March 2007 to the early months of 2008, according to recent market studies. Driven by the huge potential of marketing its developments to Asian-based investors, Bonyan International Investment Group has participated at the recently concluded Cityscape Asia 2008, where it showcased its AED 3.5 billion project portfolio.

As one of the five real estate companies that represented the UAE at the event, Bonyan’s participation was aimed at increasing its penetration in the Asian market to further reinforce its presence in the international real estate arena.

With industry experts projecting further growth in investment opportunities within the UAE real estate market, investors from India, Pakistan and Iran continue to patronise commercial, residential and mixed use spaces within the country’s most sought-after developments. Backed by a strong portfolio of high value real estate offerings and an array of value added services, Bonyan’s strategy is to develop more unique projects that can deliver outstanding investment returns.

In addition to favourable economic and geographical conditions, the involvement of governments through several landmark legislations being enacted across the seven emirates has further positioned the UAE as regulated and investor-friendly market.

“Our aim is to gain a worldwide repute as a developer of high value single development and large-scale community projects and build a project portfolio worth AED 10 billion in the next three years. Being able to penetrate and thrive within the highly competitive regional real estate market is truly overwhelming, and the next step for us is to venture out and seek a broader market for our high value offerings.

For us to be able to realise this vision, we are continuously exerting much effort to bring foreign investors to the country by underlining the outstanding business prospects in the country through events such as this,” said Eng. Abdullah Atatreh, Chairman, Bonyan International Investment Group.

Visitors and participants at the three-day exhibition gained a clearer overall perspective of the booming real estate landscape of the UAE and the Middle East region, and the outstanding investment opportunities being offered by Bonyan through its current development projects such as Dubai Gate 1 and 2, Sharjah Gate and ABBCO Tower.

The developer also showcased its full suite of integrated and research-based services, which include project management and value engineering, sales and marketing, and investment and feasibility, which are being offered across all Bonyan offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Qatar and Amman.

“As one of the five developers from the UAE that took part in this event, we were very excited to showcase our portfolio of commercial, residential and mixed use projects, which accurately represents the amazing progress of the real estate market in the country.

Participation in international events of this magnitude undoubtedly presents numerous advantages, not only in driving sales but also in expanding our networks and gaining valuable partnerships with other global players, and this year, we are confident that the results of our presence will exceed the outstanding opportunities that events of this kind have previously opened up for us,” concluded Atatreh.

About Bonyan International Investment Group, L.L.C.

Bonyan International Investment Group, L.L.C. started its activities in 2002 and is now being considered as one of the leading real estate groups in the Middle East. The Group’s main activity is the development of real estate projects through ownership, partnership, or as development consultants. Offering a full suite of integrated and research-based services, the Group leverages several partnerships and strategic alliances with key regional and international business partners.

Its wide array of value-added services include real estate project development, project management and value engineering, sales and marketing, as well as investment and feasibility studies, which are being offered to individual, corporate and institutional clients and partners. With offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Qatar and Amman, the company is playing an integral part in the development of the real-estate market in the region.

"When the character of a man is not clear to you, look at his friends." Japanese Proverb

After you have made a concentrated effort to understand as to who you are, you are now ready to go out there and start looking for the right individuals to partner with. This is a critical stage which will have a substantial impact on achieving your goals. Over the years I have either started or joined many business teams. There is a mental checklist which I run through when meeting my prospective team mates for the first time. This check list is made up from my own past experiences and also Jim Collins view on who "The Right People" (courtesy www.jimcollins.com) are.

1. The person must share the core values of the business or organization. These are the values which determine how the organization interacts, communicates and operates to reach it goals and objectives. For example there was a charity project for protecting the environment I was part of during my university days. There was a sales and marketing director who didn’t share the fundamental core value of compassion. He was in fact looking to profit from the project. Needless to say he didn’t last very long in the team. This just goes to show how important it is for you to probe and ask whether your prospective team mates core values are aligned to ensure that you are all on the same page and headed for the same goal.

2. The person should not need to be "managed". When building your core team you need to find those individuals who are confident in their own abilities. If you are the more experienced partner then most definitely you will provide some guidance along the way. However if you are find yourself molding the individual into what you deem are the right behaviors then you have probably made a mistake during selection. These types of individuals who require constant support are draining and slowly become huge speed bumps for the organization. Make sure you select those individuals who have shown a capacity to operate on their own and have been successful at doing so.

3. The passion to become the best at what they do. There was a IT company which I was a part of a couple of years ago which was developing inventory management systems for the paper industry. Being a startup company we were naturally bootstrapping and couldn’t hire the best developers. However when filling a key role for project management lead for the team we selected an individual who had shown great potential during his university days and had great passion for his line of work. It worked out really well and the team flourished. So when you are making a key decision and may be limited by budget or geographic boundaries do your best to fill the seat with the person who has show the potential and willingness to be one of the best in that field.

4. Understand the difference between a job and holding a responsibility. This tip has helped me greatly in making some key decisions in recruiting partners. Say you are going to be hiring a developer for a new website to collect feedback for your product. You get the best coder in town to make it for you. He does what you asked for but users are frustrated because the website is difficult to navigate through or impossible to submit feedback easily. I know I have been in this spot many times. This is when you got someone who doesn’t know the difference. A coder who takes responsibility to make sure that users will be able to submit their feedback easily and quickly would have approached the project differently. So make sure when you are getting a partner who understands the bigger picture and is in line with it.

5. Would you hire the person if it were a hiring decision? This question allows you to look at the person from a different angle. Given that you know a substantial amount of the person would you hire him/her? When I get to meet people outside the workplace say at my squash game or at a charity that I volunteer at, you get to know a lot about the individual. When I ask myself this question when thinking about asking him/her to become a partner with me in a project it puts things into perspective. You begin to look at the individual impartially and can reach a more informed decision.

6. Does the person have a regard for rules, regulations and personal boundaries? I have learned this lesson the hard way as well. I came across what you call a super star performer. He excelled at a lot of the businesses he had been at. So if it were a hiring decision it would have been an easy one. However after working with him for a while I realized he had the sense that he was above any level of authority and did things which were ethically questionable when securing contracts and sales. We started to get complaints about his attitude from staff and customers and had to part ways. So when you meet a person make sure you get a sense of what his point of view regarding regulations and boundaries are even though everything else may look to be in place.

7. Professes a commitment to goals. When you are going into business you are looking for people who share similar levels of commitment as you do to the project. If you don’t pay attention to this aspect you will find yourself in an imbalanced partnership which could result in permanently jeopardizing your project. When evaluating prospective partners look at their past history and whether they were committed to the last projects they were on. Ask them about some of the big decisions they have had to make. Lastly if you are planning to take him/her on as a partner make them commit to particular goals and objectives and use them as benchmarks when performance will be appraised.

8. Integrity. This is probably the most critical yet most elusive quality to immediately identify. A person who has a high level of integrity will be one which will you can rely on and grow a successful business with. To be a good of judge of this characteristic however will take time and experience. I take Jack Welch’s advice here that if your "gut" feeling about someone is bad or you don’t get the correct vibes then it is best to go with that first presumption unless you are shown to believe otherwise.

By running through this checklist I have been able to select business partners with a lot more subjectivity. I hope this list helps out anyone who is looking to start up a new project. At the same time if you or anyone else has any key characteristics that they would like to share please do so in the comment section.

Daily Market Commentary for April 6, 2009

Traders are banding together in an effort to develop a trading partner integration in an effort to ward off the boredom of the slow market action. (read more at Millennium-Traders.Com)

http://www.millennium-traders.com/news/newscommentary.aspx

Economic data released today: n/a

At the NYSE closing bell on the New York Stock Exchange, here is how the major world indices and major U.S. stock indices ended the trading session on the world markets as well as the emerging markets including the stock market closing bell price:

DOW (Dow Jones Industrial Average) loss of 41.74 points to end the trading session at 7,975.85

NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) loss of 69.27 points to end the trading session at 5,249.48

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) loss of 15.16 points to end the trading session at 1,606.71

S&P 500 (SPX) loss of 7.02 points to end the trading session at 835.48

BEL 20 (BEL20) loss of 8.22 points to end the trading session at 1,800.15

CAC 40 (CAC40) loss of 28.99 points to end the trading session at 2,929.75

FTSE100 (UKX100) loss of 36.13 points to end the trading session at 3,993.54

NIKKEI 225 (NIK/O) triple digit gain of 108.09 points to end the trading session at 8,857.93

New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) stock market indicators for the trading session today:

Advanced stock prices 785, declined stock prices 1,872, unchanged stock prices 501, stock prices hitting new highs 3 and stock prices hitting new lows 5. NYSE quotes for volatile stocks and market trends, as well as stock quotes, stock prices and stock symbols of Day Trading Stock Picks on the New York Stock Exchange stock market for Day Trading online and active Day Trading for those who are or would like to be Day Trading for a living: Schlumberger Limited (NYSE: SLB) stock price shed 1.10 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $44.35, low on the trading session $43.05, with a closing stock price at $43.97;   Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) stock price gained 5.97 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $73.47, low on the trading session $65.21, with a closing stock price at $73.28; IntercontinentalExchange  (NYSE: ICE) stock price shed 2.85 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $83.56, low on the trading session $81.52, with a closing stock price at $82.42; Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) stock price shed 16.72 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $133.69, low on the trading session $128.91, with a closing stock price at $132.73; Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE: GS) stock price shed 2.75 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $117.95, low on the trading session $114.05, with a closing stock price at $116.65; Alexandria Real Estate Equities (NYSE: ARE) stock price shed 4.56 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $39.50, low on the trading session $35.26, with a closing stock price at $37.20; ProShares Ultrashort Financials (NYSE: SKF) stock price gained 3.35 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $87, low on the trading session $82.80, with a closing stock price at $84.30; CME Group (NYSE: CME) stock price shed 9.01 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $250.47, low on the trading session $244.25, with a closing stock price at $246.88; MasterCard (NYSE: MA) stock price shed 2.52 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $177.45, low on the trading session $168.27, with a closing stock price at $171.53; Toyota Motor (NYSE: TM) stock price shed 1.86 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $74.37, low on the trading session $72.83, with a closing stock price at $73.24; Hess (NYSE: HES) stock price shed 2.35 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $58.44, low on the trading session $56.42, with a closing stock price at $57.40.

National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) stock market indicators for the trading session today:

Advanced stock prices 853, declined stock prices 1,912, unchanged stock prices 131, stock prices hitting new highs 155 and stock prices hitting new lows 7.NASDAQ quotes, volatile stocks and market trends, as well as stock quotes, stock prices and stock symbols of Day Trading Stock Picks on the NASDAQ stock market for Day Trading online and active Day Trading for those who are or would like to be Day Trading for a living: Dendreon (NasdaqGS: DNDN) stock price gained 0.51 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $7.35, low on the trading session $6.28, with a closing stock price at $6.50; Joy Global (NasdaqGS: JOYG) stock price gained 0.04 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $24.48, low on the trading session $23.14, with a closing stock price at $24.05; Wynn Resorts Limited (NasdaqGS: WYNN) stock price gained 2.07 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $33, low on the trading session $30.71, with a closing stock price at $31.72; Priceline.com (NasdaqGS: PCLN) stock price shed 0.82 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $89.41, low on the trading session $86.21, with a closing stock price at $87.81; Randgold Resources Limited (NasdaqGS: GOLD) stock price shed 2.89 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $48.83, low on the trading session $46.33, with a closing stock price at $46.95; Research In Motion Limited (NasdaqGS: RIMM) stock price gained 4.46 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $64.44, low on the trading session $58.18, with a closing stock price at $63.75;  Baidu (NasdaqGS: BIDU) stock price shed 3.44 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $187.45, low on the trading session $181.05, with a closing stock price at $184.06; First Solar (NasdaqGS: FSLR) stock price gained 3.78 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $139.24, low on the trading session $129.88, with a closing stock price at $138.16; Google (NasdaqGS: GOOG) stock price shed 1.91 points on the trading session, high on the trading session $369.82, low on the trading session $361.40, with a closing stock price at $367.87.

Market trends on the American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and stock market indicators for the trading session today:

Advanced stock prices 216, declined stock prices 298, unchanged stock prices 100, stock prices hitting new highs 6 and stock prices hitting new lows 3.

Chicago Board of Trade Futures Market for the day, at time of this posting:

E-mini S&P 500 (ES) June 09: End of trading session price 831.75; Change for the trading session -9.25

E-mini NASDAQ-100 (NQ) June 09: End of trading session price 1,311.75; Change for the trading session -3.25

E-mini DOW $5 (YM) June 09: End of trading session price 7,926; Change for the trading session 7

E-mini S&P MidCap 400 (MF) June 09: End of trading session price 516; Change for the trading session 0.30

Nikkei 225 (Yen) June 09; End of trading session price 8,860; Change for the trading session 5

World Currencies for the Forex Market, for Forex Trading by active Forex Traders, at time of this posting:

Euro 0.7459 to U.S. Dollars 1.3407

Japanese Yen 101.04 to U.S. Dollars 0.0099

British Pound 0.6781 to U.S. Dollars 1.4748

Canadian Dollar 1.2386 to U.S. Dollars 0.8074

Swiss Franc 1.1363 to U.S. Dollars 0.8800

COMMODITY MARKETS:

Energy Sector – Nymex:

Light Crude (May 09) shed $1.46 on the trading session for a closing price of $51.05 per barrel ($US per barrel)

Heating Oil (May 09) shed $0.03 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.42 a gallon ($US per gallon)

Natural Gas (May 09) shed $0.07 on the trading session for a closing price of $3.74 per million BTU ($US per mmbtu.)

Unleaded Gas (May 09) shed $0.02 on th
e trading session for a closing price of $1.48 a gallon ($US per gallon)

Metals Markets – Comex:

Gold (June 09) shed $24.50 on the trading session for a closing price of $872.80 ($US per Troy ounce)

Silver (May 09) shed $0.63 on the trading session for a closing price of $12.11 ($US per Troy ounce)

Platinum (July 09) shed $13.70 on the trading session for a closing price of $1,152.60 ($US per Troy ounce)

Copper (May 09) shed $0.04 on the trading session for a closing price of $1.96 ($US per pound)

Livestock and Meat Markets – Chicago Mercantile Exchange (cents per lb.):

Lean Hogs (June 09) shed 0.90 on the trading session for a closing price of 72.75

Pork Bellies (May 09) gained 0.98 on the trading session for a closing price of 89.80

Live Cattle (June 09) gained 0.20 on the trading session for a closing price of 84.38

Feeder Cattle (May 09) gained 0.75 on the trading session for a closing price of 97.45

Other Commodities – Chicago Board of Trade (cents per bushel):

Corn (May 09) gained 1.00 on the trading session for a closing price of 405.00

Soybeans (May 09) shed 1.50 on the trading session for a closing price of 994.00

BOND MARKET:

2 year Bond Closing price 99 27/32, change 0, Yield 0.94, Yield change -0.01

5 year Bond closing price of 99 9/32, change -6/32, Yield 1.89, Yield change 0.14

10 year Bond closing price 98 14/32, change -12/32, Yield 2.93, Yield change 0.05

30 year Bond closing price 95 29/32, change -21/32, Yield 3.72, Yield change 0.13

Thanks for reading

Millennium-Traders.Com

http://www.millennium-traders.com